THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


O  cr 


SONNETS  AND  LYRICS 


SONNETS  AND  LYRICS 


BY 
KATRINA  TRASK 

AUTHOR  OF  "UNDER  KING  CONSTANTINE" 


NEW  YORK:    ANSON   D.   F.   RANDOLPH  AND 
COMPANY  (INCORPORATED),  182  FIFTH  AVENUE 


Copyright,  1894, 
BY  ANSON  D.  F.  RANDOLPH  &  COMPANY 

(INCORPORATED). 


(Hmbrrsitg  19m»: 
JOHN  WILSON  AND  SON,  CAMBRIDGE,  U.S.A. 


PS 


TO    MY  MOTHER. 


Spring's  secret  had  her  nature  caught, 

All  joy  compelling; 
Her  converse  was  with  wisdom  fraught, 

And  laughter  welling. 

The  circle  of  her  daily  life 

Was  sweetly  human; 
As  friend,  as  mother,  and  as  wife, 

She  was  all  woman. 

With  these  rare  charms  she  did  combine 

A  Christ-like  power ; 
Transfused  with  His  dear  grace  divine, 

Love  was  her  dower. 


904081 


CONTENTS. 


Sonnets. 

PAGE 

Thy  love  is  like  an  armor  for  my  soul 13 

Between  the  Shadows  of  the  Night  Love  came    ...  14 

As  I  beheld  Love's  lambent  wings  outspread   ....  15 

Behold,  I  saw  a  burning  furnace 16 

Iseult  to  Tristram 17 

My  Love,  this  evening  hour  I  stand  confessed      .     .     .  18 

I  wander  in  the  desert  of  this  world 19 

In  darkened  upper  chamber,  on  her  bier 20 

I  longed  for  Thee,  O  Christ,  to  be  my  guest     .     .     .     .  21 

O  Love  supreme,  when  is  thy  greatest  bliss  ?    ....  22 

Sorrow 23 

Love 24 

Paolo  to  Francesca 25 

Look  in  my  eyes,  my  Love,  and  say  good-bye  .     .     .     .  26 

Yea,  —  inasmuch  as  thou  art  brave  to  fight      .     .     .     .  '  27 

ILjmcg. 

The  lady  sat  in  her  vine-clad  tower 31 

Revelation 34 

Three  Hours 37 


My  Lover's  Bower 39 

To  a  Pessimist 41 

When  we  have  done  the  best  we  can 43 

No  one  may  know  what  the  crimson  rose 45 

After  the  Storm 46 

Spring 47 

Autumn 49 

Heaven  is  mirrored  Love,  deep  in  thine  eyes    ....  51 

Our  hearts  are  full  of  sin 52 

And  has  it  been  for  this,  my  Love  —  the  sheaves?     .     .  53 

O  foolish  soul,  why  should  you  now  assail 54 

Courage,  O  heart ! 55 

If 56 

Who  can  fill  a  chalice 58 

Calm  is  the  peaceful  night 59 

Thine  eyes,  so  true,  shine  on  me,  dear 60 

It  has  been  dark  so  long ! 61 

Love  reaches  to  the  infinite 62 

Lo !  in  the  dome  of  the  sky 63 

Lie  down  and  sleep 64 

The  purple  mountains,  on  whose  crest 65 

To  Ben  Jonson 66 

My  feet  are  sandalled  with  Love 68 

My  spirit  is  free 69 

A  Woman's  Confession 70 

At  Last 72 

Fellowship 73 

To  a  Poet 75 

8 


Rejoice 76 

"  Darling,  darling,"  a  bird  is  calling 77 

Renunciation 79 

Brunhilde 80 

Speech  and  Silence •    .     .     .  81 

Trust 82 

Morning 83 

Emancipation 86 

Quatrains 88 

Contrasts. 

A  fair  young  mother  bends,  and  gaily  laughs   ....  91 

My  friend  is  near  me  now,  so  near 92 

City  and  Country 93 

She  sits,  with  grief  too  deep  for  tears 94 

A  man  and  woman  steeped  in  ecstasy 95 

Wringing  white  hands  in  passionate  despair     ....  96 

The  night  is  still ;  a  faint  perfume 97 

Point  of  Fiefo. 

The  Sea 101 

Night 102 

The  Pines 103 


SONNETS. 


r\  AHY  love  is  like  an  armor  for  my  soul, 

A  burnished  armor  glitteringly  white, 
Irradiating  all  my  path  with  light. 
Naught  now  can  vanquish  me;   e'en  pain  and  dole 
Disturb  me  not.     Swift,  well-aimed  arrows  roll 
In  impotency  from  my  armor  bright; 
I  have  been  made  invulnerable,  no  knight 
E'er  had  a  stronger  harness,  yet  no  stole, 
Embroidered  with  Christ's  cross,  was  ever  worn 
With  holier  reverence.    Now  to  God  be  praise  ! 
Darkness  and  danger  bring  no  fear  to  me ; 
My  soul,  thus  shielded,  will  not  be  o'erborne, 
But  calm,  serene,  through  peril's  devious  ways, 
Equipped  with  Love,  may  walk  triumphantly. 


I. 


13 ET WEEN  the  shadows  of  the  night  Love  came 
Straight  from   God's  self —  His  own    ambas 
sador. 

Shining  he  stood,  with  lambent  wings  astir; 
My  barren  room  from  that  bright  form  of  flame 
Glowed  with  effulgence ;   soft  he  spake  my  name, 
"What   would    you    have    that    Love    may    now 

confer?  " 

"  Grant  me,"  I  cried,  "  O  mighty  Almoner, 
My  lover's  presence ;  that  again  the  same 
Rose-ladened,  rapture-freighted  hours  may  hold 
My  lover  with  me  in  a  spell  of  bliss, 
Where  every  breath  is  fragrant  with  a  kiss." 
.Love  with  a  look  divine  of  holy  fire 
And  yearning  pity  did  my  soul  enfold  ; 
"  Farewell,"  he  said,  "  I  was  not  named  Desire." 


II. 

A  S  I  beheld  Love's  lambent  wings  outspread 

To  leave  me,  all  my  spirit  rose  and  cried, 
"  Stay,  Love  immortal,  I  am  satisfied 
With  thy  completeness,  though  I  be  unfed 
With  thy  blest  sacramental  gifts.     O  shed 
Thy  glory  in  my  soul ;  what  is  denied 
I  here  resign.     If  thou  art  by  my  side, 
I  will  not  ask  for  rapture."     On  my  head 
Love,  stooping,  laid  his  hands  of  Christ-like  balm ; 
Swift  through  my  being  flowed  a  strength  unknown, 
Deep  in  my  heart  there  sprang  a  joy  intense, 
Soft  on  my  spirit  fell  a  thrilling  calm ; 
Love  passed ;  and  I  lay  bathed  — although  alone  — 
In  a  glad  bliss  more  rapturous  than  of  sense. 


T)EHOLD,  I  saw  a  burning  furnace,  red 

With  heat  intense ;  and  in  its  vivid  glow 
A  human  soul,  unclayed ;  first  did  I  know 
O'erwhelming  fear;  then  straightway  felt  instead 
Most  wondering  sorrow ;  for  the  lustre  shed 
Upon  the  soul  I  thought  as  pure  as  snow, 
Showed  dross,  impurity,  —  Ah,  bitter  woe, 
To  me  who  loved  so  well !     I  should  have  fled 
From  the  revealment,  had  a  strange  control 
Not  held  me,  as  the  purging  fire  burned  on. 
In  yearning  anguish,  "  Spare  the  pain  !  "  I  cried ; 
But  naught  was  spared,  until  from  that  loved  soul 
All  the  impurity  and  dross  were  gone ; 
Then  for  new  life  it  came  forth  purified. 


16 


ISEULT  TO  TRISTRAM. 

,  my   life's   one    only    Love,  your 
queen, — 

While  banished  from  her  sight  you  roam  alone,  — 
A  weary  exile  sits  upon  her  throne, 
Bedecked  in  pearl-strewn  samite,  glinting  sheen 
Of  diamond  glows  bright  like  stars  between 
The  curls  your  dear  caressing  lips  have  known  ; 
But  all  the  while  her  aching  heart  makes  moan, 
Beneath  the  courtly  homage,  when  serene 
And  proud  she  smiles  with  royal  grace  above 
Her  kneeling  subjects,  as  becomes  her  state. 

0  Tristram,  Tristram,  would  that  I  might  be 
My  fortune's  arbitress  ;  in  truth,  my  Love, 

1  would  but  claim  this  single  boon  of  fate,  — 
To  wander  forth  a  beggar-maid  with  thee. 


A  TY  Love,  this  evening  hour  I  stand  confessed. 
When  I  recall  these  magic  woods,  which  ring 
With  songs  of  homeward-flocking  birds  that  sing 
Sweet  lullabys  to  fledglings  in  the  nest ; 
The  opalescent  gates  that  in  the  west 
Part  to  receive  the  passing  day,  and  fling 
A  crimson  glory  forth ;  —  remembering 
The  myriad  marvels,  I  will  count  this  best. 
Of  sights,  of  music,  flowers,  and  singing  birds, 
Of  beauties  manifold,  which  gird  us  round,  — 
Earth's  bloom  below,  heaven's  radiance  above,  — 
Best  will  I  count  your  life-revealing  words 
Which  in  my  ears  forevermore  shall  sound, 
"  Light  of  my  soul,  I  love  you,  O  my  Love." 


is 


T  WANDER  in  the  desert  of  this  world, 

See  God's  effulgence  for  a  moment's  space 
On  some  Mount  Sinai,  then  come  face  to  face 
With  altars  to  the  Golden  Calf.     Thus  hurled 
From  holy  heights,  my  soul  in  depths  is  whirled ; 
Yea,  from  the  Blessed  swiftly  to  the  base. 
Ah!  'tis  a  desolate  and  barren  place; 
My  heart  is  weary;  — but,  behold  !  unfurled 
Before  me  floats  a  fleecy  cloud  of  light, 
A  roseate  pillar  through  the  toiling  day, 
Illumining  the  desert's  arid  sand  ; 
And,  lo  !  a  vivid  guiding  flame  by  night. 
'T  is  Love  that  goes  before  me  on  my  way, 
And  leads  me  onward  to  the  Promised  Land. 


TN  darkened  upper  chamber,  on  her  bier, 

Lay  Hope,  arrayed  for  burial  ;   asphodel 
And  rosemary  bedecked  her  pall,  that  fell 
In  straight  black  folds.     Standing  in  silence  near 
Was  Memory,  with  eyes  as  azure  clear 
As  Heaven,  but  keen  and  haunting  as  deep  Hell; 
At  the  sad  sounding  of  the  slow  death  knell, 
Anon  in  frenzied  haste  ran  frantic  Fear, 
And  rosy  Love,  his  glad  voice  hushed  and  low, 
His  torch  inverted,  paused  to  linger  there 
By  my  dead  Hope.     I  stood  apart  with  Woe  ; 
Then  to  my  side  came  gaunt  and  grim  Despair. 
"  Fear  not  to  be  companionless,"  she  said, 
"  Lo  !  I  will  share  your  dwelling  in  her  stead." 


20 


T  LONGED  for  Thee,  O  Christ,  to  be  my  guest, 
To  break  the  bread,  and  pour  the  living  wine, 
All  consecrated,  in  this  home  of  mine, 
That  my  poor  soul  and  spirit  might  be  blessed. 
Perchance  I  called  Thee  not  enough ;   confessed 
My  yearning  want  too  seldom  at  Thy  shrine, 
To  bring  Thy  presence,  glorious,  divine. 
Thou  for  these  many  years  hast  thought  it  best 
That  I  should  wait.     There  came  instead  to  me 
Remorseless  Death,  whose  ruthless  besom  swept 
My  fireside  empty  ;   then  apart  I  crept, 
Alone  beneath  the  shadow,  —  ah,  but  see  ! 
I  raise  my  head  my  barren  home  to  mark, 
And  Thou,  O  Christ,  art  standing  in  the  dark. 


21 


/~\   LOVE  supreme,  when  is  thy  greatest  bliss? 
My  soul  grows  faint  remembering  the  sight 
And  inspiration  of  thy  dear  delight, 
The  revelation  of  thy  perfect  kiss, 
Where  the  completeness  that  my  soul  did  miss 
Beforetime,  seemed  my  heritage  by  right. 
Standing  to  judge  of  Love  upon  Love's  height, — 
Now  my  familiar  home,  tho"  dark  abyss 
Long  sheltered  me,  —  I  count  it  greatest  when 
The  rising  tide  of  throbbing  harmony 
Sweeps  through  the  senses  with  a  sudden  rush 
To  climax  of  Love's  rapture ;  then  again 
I  know  that  sweeter  than  aught  else  to  me, 
Is  the  tense  silence  of  Love's  breathless  hush. 


SORROW. 

S~\  THORN-CROWNED   Sorrow,  pitiless  and 

stern, 

I  sit  alone,  with  broken  heart,  my  head 
Low  bowed,  keeping  long  vigil  with  my  dead 
My  soul,  unutterably  sad,  doth  yearn 
Beyond  relief  in  tears  —  they  only  burn 
My  aching  eyelids  to  fall  back  unshed 
Upon  the  throbbing  brain  like  molten  lead, 
Making  it  frenzied.     Shall  I  ever  learn 
To  face  you  fearlessly,  as  by  my  door 
You  stand  with  haunting  eyes  and  death-damp  hair, 
Through  the  night-watches,  whispering  solemnly, 
"  Behold,  I  am  thy  guest  forevermore." 
It  chills  my  soul  to  know  that  you  are  there. 
Great  GOD,  have  mercy  on  my  misery  ! 


LOVE. 

S~\  POWER  of  Love,  O  wondrous  mystery ! 
^^^   How  is  my  dark  illumined  by  thy  light, 
That  maketh  morning  of  my  gloomy  night, 
Setting  my  soul  from  Sorrow's  bondage  free 
With  swift-sent  revelation ;  yea,  I  see 
Beyond  the  limitation  of  my  sight 
And  senses,  comprehending  now,  aright, 
To-day's  proportion  to  Eternity. 
Through  thee,  my  faith  in  God  is  made  more  sure, 
My  searching  eyes  have  pierced  the  misty  veil ; 
The  pain  and  anguish  which  stern  Sorrow  brings, 
Through  thee  become  more  easy  to  endure. 
Love-strong  I  mount,  and  Heaven's  high  summit 

scale ; 
Through  thee,  my  soul  has  spread  her  folded  wings. 


24 


PAOLO  TO   FRANCESCA. 
T7RANCESCA  MIA,  in  the  purple  air 

F 

That  whirls  us  onward  in  our  fatal  woe, 
Your  soulful  love-lit  eyes,  that  ever  grow, 
.Beneath  the  shadow  of  your  wind-blown  hair, 
More  doleful  with  vast  sorrow  you  must  bear, 
Make  my  heart  melt  in  agonizing  flow 
Of  penitential  tears ;   for  well  I  know 
That  I  have  brought  you  to  this  deep  despair. 
You  would  have  been  in  Heaven,  a  blessed  saint, 
Save  that  you  gave  me  your  unbounded  love, 
And,  spotless,  innocent,  all  free  from  taint, 
Came  to  my  bosom  like  a  guileless  dove, 
For  shelter.     Gracious  God!  you  trusted  me; 
I  dragged  you  down  to  Hell  and  misery. 


T   OOK  in  my  eyes,  my  Love,  and  say  good  bye  — 
Love  is  not  love  save  it  hath  made  us  strong 
To  meet  stern  duties,  that  remorseless  throng 
For  doing.     Men  may  fail,  but  you  and  I 
Should  be  invincible  to  live,  or  die  ; 
To  wage  firm  battle  against  sin  and  wrong; 
To  wait  —  that's  hardest,  dear  —  however  long, 
For  joys  withheld,  and  God  to  answer  why  ; 
To  banish  yearning  hope  if  it  be  vain; 
To  say  good  bye,  if  we  must  parted  be. 
Had  we  but  half  loved,  then  we  might  complain 
Parting  were  murdered  possibility; 
But  loving,  O  my  Love,  so  perfectly, 
We  are  beyond  the  touch  of  any  pain. 


26 


"XT'EA,  —  inasmuch  as  thou  art  brave  to  fight 

Victorious  battle  against  sin  and  wrong, 
And,  still  despite  the  miseries  that  throng, 
To  walk  serenely  in  God's  holy  light, 
Teaching  the  ignorant  the  ways  of  right, 
Turning  the  dirge  of  life  into  a  song 
Triumphant ;   inasmuch  as  thou  art  strong, 
Purehearted,  steadfast,  —  thou  shalt  be  my  knight. 
Arise,  go  forth  unto  the  waiting  field, 
And  hurl  the  evil  low  into  the  dust. 
Now  may  the  sign  by  all  men  known  be  this, 
My  love  for  thee  shall  be  thy  guarding  shield, 
Thine  armor  shall  be  brightened  by  my  trust, 
Thine  accolade  shall  be  my  royal  kiss. 


LYRICS. 


lady  sat  in  her  vine-clad  tower, 
Her  face  was  fair  as  a  dew-washed  flower ; 

The  great  oaken  door  was  barred  and  fast, 
And  she  smiled  aloof  as  all  men  passed, 

"  I  yield  me  not  until  I  discover, 

For  my  heart's  giving,  a  perfect  lover." 

At  dawn,  one  sued  her  with  subtle  brain, 
To  grant  him  guerdon.     He  sued  in  vain. 

"Yea,"  she  made  answer,  "  I  yield  me  in  part; 
But  what  should  I  do  with  my  throbbing  heart?" 

At  sunrise,  a  passionate  lover  came, 
And  offered  his  heart  of  burning  flame. 

"  Ah,  yea,"  she  said,  "  I  might  yield  to  thee; 

But  alas  !  alas !  for  the  soul  in  me." 

31 


As  the  sun  waxed  high,  'neath  her  casement  stole 
A  bashful  pilgrim,  and  offered  his  soul. 

"  Yea,  this  is  highest  and  best,"  she  said ; 
"  But  my  mind  and  body  would  faint,  unfed." 

Then  she  smiled  and  fast  barred  the  tower  door, 
"  I  will  never  yield ;  I  watch  no  more." 

But,  lo !  o'er  the  hills,  at  the  earth's  high  noon, 

/ 

Swift  came  a  lover  with  love  triune. 

He  looked  in  her  eyes,  and  she  was  aware 
That  the  lord  of  her  body  was  standing  there ; 

He  challenged  her  mind,  and  quick  was  she 
To  bow  her  own  to  his  mastery ; 

He  lifted  on  high  his  blossoming  rod, 
And  wooed  her  soul  in  the  name  of  God. 

Myrrh  and  spikenard  and  frankincense  sweet 

Dropped  in  the  way  of  her  hurrying  feet. 

32 


The  fast-barred  door  was  thrown  open  wide, 
And  the  lover  sprang  to  the  lady's  side. 

The  light  of  love  dawned  glad  on  her  face, 
And  she  whispered  low,  with  an  eager  grace : 

"  Because  thou  wooed  with  the  threefold  power, 
I  come  to  thine  arms  from  my  fast-barred  tower." 


33 


REVELATION. 

/T>O  be  made  akin  to  the  wonderful  earth, 

Engirdled  with  cestus  of  azure  around  ; 
To  know  all  her  secrets  of  life,  and  of  birth, 
Of  fragrance  and  fruitage,  of  vision  and  sound,  — • 
Is  the  mystical  sweetness 
From  Love's  all  completeness. 

To  swoon  with  the  spell  of  her  deep-folding  dark, 
To  tremble  with  hope  when  a  new  day  is  born, 
To  awake,  and  sing  with  the  carolling  lark, 
To  blush  with  the  beauty  of  her  rosy  morn,  — 
Is  the  mystical  sweetness 
From  Love's  all  completeness. 

To  welcome  the  breeze  as  it  blows  to  greet  you, 
As  soft  as  it  might  be  the  breath  of  a  kiss ; 

34 


To  watch  for  the  tide  as  it  rolls  to  meet  you, 
And  throb  with  remembered  and  prescient  bliss, — 
Is  tJie  mystical  sweetness 
From  Loves  all-completeness. 

To  be  swayed  by  the  song  that  the  pine-trees  sing 
To  the  heart  of  your  heart,  harmonious,  clear ; 
To  have  day  and  night  from  their  hid  treasures  bring 
What  those  who    have  loved   not,   ne'er  see   and 

ne'er  hear,  — 
Is  the  mystical  sweetness 
From  Love's  all-completeness. 

To  joy  and  exult  in  the  wild  winds  that  make 
A  measureless  music  abroad  in  the  land ; 
To  watch  the  mad  white-crested  waves  as  they  break, 
And  their  passionate  murmur  to  understand,  — 
Is  the  mystical  sweetness 
From  Love's  all-completeness. 

35 


To  feel  the  soul  suddenly  thrill  with  a  glow 
Of  power  to  see  beyond  death's  dusky  portal ; 
With  surety  stronger  than  logic,  to  know 
That  God  is  the  Lord,  and  the  soul  is  immortal, 
Is  the  mystical  sweetness 
From  Love's  all-completeness. 


THREE   HOURS. 

I. 

HE  comes !  my  bliss-remembering  heart  sends 
fire 
Swift  through  my  veins  where  blood  was  wont  to 

flow. 

Enwrapped  in  joyous  soaring  soul-desire, 
Down  fragrant  paths  where  welcoming  roses  grow, 
I  speed,  my  love  to  meet, 
With  winged  feet. 

II. 

He  leaves  me  desolate,  my  eyes  grow  dim, 
My  rebel  heart  denies  the  natural  boon 
Of  life-flow  to  my  veins ;  he  took  with  him 
My  spirit  as  he  went;   I  faint,  I  swoon, 
His  name  I  breathe  for  breath, 
And  long  for  death. 

37 


III. 

A  mighty  Voice  speaks  through  the  night  to  me, 
"  Is  it  for  this  I  gave  thee  wondrous  gift, 
That  in  the  shadow  thou  shouldst  poorer  be? 
Hath  love,  revealed,  no  power  to  uplift? 
Thou  hast  received ;  now  give  — 
Arise  and  live !  " 


MY   LOVER'S  BOWER. 

IV  i  Y  Love,  of  all  men,  knoweth  best 

How  well  to  weave  a  web  complete, 
Of  intermingled  love  and  rest, 
With  passion's  power  replete. 
For  0  the  day,  and  O  the  hour, 
He  led  me  to  his  vine-clad  Bower, 
And  wove  for  me  a  rapture  sweet. 

It  was,  forsooth,  a  magic  place, 
A  covert  from  all  storms  that  beat, 
A  mystic  woof  of  light  and  grace, 
A  shade  from  noontide's  heat. 
And  O  the  day,  and  O  the  hour, 
He  took  me  to  that  vine-clad  Bower, 
And  wove  for  me  a  rapture  sweet. 

It  lay  upon  a  fruitful  hill, 

Crimson  roses,  and  golden  wheat ! 
39 


The  sunlight  fell  serene  and  still ; 
The  sands  of  Time  ran  fleet. 
For  O  the  day,  and  O  the  hour, 
He  led  me  to  his  vine-clad  Bower, 
And  wove  for  me  a  raptttre  sweet. 

Far  was  it  from  the  busy  throng, 
In  sheltered,  forest-hid  retreat; 
A  crystal  brook  with  laughing  song, 
Ran  by  a  rose-hung  seat. 
And  O  the  day,  and  O  the  hour, 
He  led  me  to  that  vine-clad  Bower, 
And  wove  for  me  a  rapture  sweet. 

Low  cooed  an  opal-crested  dove 
Her  wooing  mate,  returned,  to  greet; 
Beneath  a  panoply  of  love, 
Unveiled,  our  souls  did  meet. 
For  O  the  day,  and  O  the  hour, 
He  took  me  to  his  vine-clad  Bower, 

And  wove  for  me  a  rapture  sweet. 
40 


TO  A   PESSIMIST. 

TJUSH!     Do  not  dare 
•*"••     Add  to  the  load  ' 
Your  brother  must  bear 
As  he  toils  up  the  road. 

The  way  is  bleak, 
Hard,  at  the  best; 
Perchance  he  is  weak, 
Did  he  stand  confessed. 

Can  he  rejoice? 
Then  God  be  praised ; 
Ah  !  why  should  your  voice, 
To  mock  him,  be  raised? 
41 


Holds  he  on  high 
His  lamp  of  trust? 
Beware  how  you  try 
To  quench  it  with  dust! 

If,  through  the  night, 
No  lamp  you  take ; 
Then  guard  well  his  light, 
For  Jesus  Christ's  sake. 


42 


"TT  7HEN  we  have  done  the  best  we  can 

To  help  uplift  our  fellow-man, 
To  ease  his  load  of  care  and  sin, 
Ah  !  then,  perchance,  we  may  begin 
All  human  nature  to  deplore, — 
But  not  before  ! 

When  we  have  studied,  night  and  day, 

A  better  and  a  surer  way 

To  purge  the  State  of  wrong  and  crime, 

Ah !  then,  perchance,  it  may  be  time 

To  sit  at  home,  with  idle  hand, 

And  mourn  the  land. 

When  we  have  prayed  with  trusting  mind, 
And  in  our  life  no  answer  find; 

43 


When  we  have  done  His  utmost  will, 
And  yet  are  left  in  darkness  still ; 
Then  carping  doubt  we  may  express 
But  not  unless. 


44 


ATO  one  may  know  what  the  crimson  rose 

Whispers  to  me  alone, 
As  its  leaves  unfold 
From  its  heart  of  gold,  — 
Nay,  nay,  it  is  all  unknown, 
Save  to  me  and  the  deep  red  rose, 
The  rarest  flower  that  grows. 

No  one  may  know  what  the  crimson  rose, 

As  it  hides  in  my  breast, 

Adown  from  the  cold, 

Is  silently  told, — 

Nay,  nay,  it  is  unconfessed, 

Save  to  me  and  the  deep  red  rose, 

The  fairest  flower  that  blows. 


45 


AFTER  THE   STORM. 

T~\ARK  files  of  fleece-edged  clouds,  that  move 

and  break 

To  show  clear  azure  through  the  sombre  gray; 
Tall  tufts  of  crystal-beaded  grass,  that  shake 
Their  heads  in  wind-tossed  dances ;   far  away 
The  empurpled  hills  glow  to  the  wooing  sun, 
Which  floods  the  world,  —  the  stress  of  storm  is 
done. 

Perched  on  a  pine-tree,  near  my  window-pane, 
An  oriole  is  swinging  by  his  nest; 
Bright  from  the  freshness  of  the  glistening  rain, 
Gleams  the  gold  plumage  of  his  shining  breast; 
He  tilts  and  sways  in  joyousness  on  high, 
And  sings  his  heart  out  to  the  clearing  sky. 


SPRING. 

WONDERFUL,  sun-crowned,  perfect  Day 
O  fairest,  flowering  month  of  May ! 

O  redolent  Spring,  benign,  supernal, 

Thou  art  the  symbol  of  Life  Eternal ! 

The  silent  Earth,  so  grim,  so  bare, 

Seems  dead,  as  cold  she  lieth  there, 

So  long  close-locked  in  icy  sleep ; 

Thou  comest,  Spring,  and  she  doth  leap 

To  vivid  life.     Her  throbbing  breast, 

Where  late  the  snowy  pall  did  rest, 

A  larger,  hidden  life  hath  kept 

Through  all  the  winter  while  she  slept. 

Now,  her  myriad  ways  are  a  mystic  maze 

Of  beauty's  bloom,  and  rare  perfume; 

Her  woodlands  sad  are  fragrantly  glad ; 

47 


And  birds,  on  the  wing,  carol  gayly,  and  sing 

To  the  beautiful  Spring 

A  welcoming  roundelay. 

O  wonderful,  sun-crowned,  perfect  Day ! 

O  fairest,  flowering  month  of  May ! 

O  Spring,  thou  art  the  proof  to  me 

Of  my  Soul's  immortality. 


48 


AUTUMN. 

T^VANK   leaves    in    storm-soaked,   undertrodden 

mass, 

Make  a  wet  pathway  for  my  feet  to  tread 
Between  the  soughing  trees ;  the  rain-drops  shed 
Their  sullen  damp  defiance  on  my  head, 
As  through  the  woodland  bare  I  onward  pass. 

Between  the  parted  branches  of  the  pines, 
The  stretch  of  sky  shows  long  above  my  way 
A  dull  monotony  of  leaden  gray, 
That  makes  the  full,  high  noontide  of  the  day 
A  shadowed  twilight;   a  soft  mist  entwines 

Grim  tree-trunks,  brown  with  a  forbidding  gloom ; 
The  sere  moss  settles  earthward  drearily ; 
The  serpentine  gnarled  root  of  a  dead  tree 
Appears  to  live  and  writhe  in  misery ; 
The  sodden  world  is  but  a  sombre  tomb. 
4  49 


Vanished  are  all  the  happy  summer  things ; 
Here  in  the  rain-washed  woodland  all  is  still 
Save  the  harsh  murmur  of  the  rippling  rill, 
That  wanders  from  the  leaf-stripped,  barren  hill, 
And  cawing  of  a  crow,  that  flaps  black  wings. 

Thus,  it  is  autumn  over  all  the  earth,  — 

But  not  within  my  heart,  which  keeps  the  glow 

Of  a  remembered  summer,  as  I  go 

Beneath  the  shadow,  and  the  joy  to  know 

That  with  the  spring  will  come  a  glad  new  birth. 


TTEAVEN  is  mirrored  Love,  deep  in  thine  eyes, 
Soft  falls  its  shimmering  light  upon  thy  face ; 
Tell  me,  Beloved,  is  this  Paradise, 
Or  but  Love's  bower  in  some  deep-sheltered  place? 

Is  that  God's  burning  bush  that  now  appears, 
Or  but  the  sunlight  slanting  through  the  trees? 
Is  that  sweet  song  the  music  of  the  spheres, 
Or  but  the  deep  andante  of  the  breeze  ? 

Are  we  blest  spirits  of  some  glad  new  birth 
Floating  at  last  in  God's  eternity? 
Or  art  thou,  Love,  still  but  a  man  on  earth, 
And  I  a  woman  clinging  close  to  thee? 


hearts  are  full  of  sin, 
And  when  we  look  within, 
We  shudder  at  the  sight,  — 
They  are  as  dark  as  night. 

The  Christ  is  full  of  love, 
And  when  we  look  above, 
Our  darkened  hearts  grow  white, 
Bathed  in  His  holy  light. 

We  know  this  true ;    and  yet 
We,  day  by  day,  forget 
To  lift  our  earth-bound  eyes 
Where  cleansing  power  lies ! 


"  A  ND   has   it   been   for   this,   my   Love  —  the 

sheaves? 

Have  all  the  dewy  moon-lit  starry  eves ; 
The  gathered  fragrance  from  the  myriad  ways 
Of  all  the  flowering  sun-steeped  joyous  days  ; 
The  seasons  that  their  fruitful  courses  ran, 
In  changing  splendor,  since  our  life  began ; 
Been  tending  only,  my  sweet  Love,  to  this,  — 
The  goal  supreme  of  your  full  perfect  kiss?  " 

"  Nay,  Dear !  not  so,"  she  answered,  rapturously ; 
"  No  kiss,  that  is  its  own  finality, 
Would  be  replete  with  bliss  divine  as  ours. 
The  highest  joy  comes  but  from  highest  powers, 
Most  freighted  with  life's  fulness,  who  have  met 
At  last,  —  no  petty  brook  nor  rivulet 
Meeting  a  pool ;  but  a  full-tided  sea, 
Commingling  with  an  ocean  deep  and  free." 

53 


FOOLISH  Soul,  why  should  you  now  assail 
Your  long-time  creed,  because  weak  mortals 

fail? 

If  you  have  sought  a  just  and  righteous  man, 
Fulfilling  well  the  Infinite's  great  plan, 
And,  searching  earnestly,  have  failed  to  see  one, 
Despair  not,  —  vindicate  your  creed,  and  be  one. 


54 


COURAGE,  O  heart! 
^•^     O  fainting  soul ! 
Measure  not  part, 
Compass  the  whole. 

Dark  falls  the  night? 
Be  not  o'erborne ; 
The  morrow  brings  light, 
Think  on  the  morn. 

Dim  grows  the  day, 
Under  a  shroud? 
Have  no  dismay, 
'T  is  but  a  cloud. 

Thou  must  be  laid 
Down  'neath  the  sod? 
Be  not  afraid, 
After  —  comes  God. 

55 


IF. 

,  never  a  lover  shall  win  or  subdue  me ! 

No !   not  though  he  flatter,  and  seek,  and 

pursue  me. 

Howe'er  he  may  strive  to  o'ercome  me  and  take  me, 
Howe'er  he  may  woo  me,  he  never  can  make  me 
Forego  my  resolve  to  be  free  in  my  flight, 
To  keep  the  winged  mystery  of  my  delight. 
For  why  should  I  stoop  from  the  realms  I  can  scan, 
To  be  the  belonging  of  self-seeking  man? 

But,   ah !     if  a   god   should   bend   down   to  me, 

love  me,  — 

A  being  my  soul  bowed  before,  as  above  me, 
With  infinite  wisdom  to  well-comprehend  me, 

With  measureless  love  to  protect  and  defend  me 

56 


From  perilous  storms  in  my  own  wayward  soul, 
With  masterful  touch,  and  a  perfect  control, 
With  the  power  to  sway  me  deep  down  in  his  eyes, 
And  patience  to  wait  for  love's  full  tide  to  rise,  — 

Ah !  then,  I  would  grant  me,  unbend  me,  and 
yield  me, 

Enraptured  with  power  found  fitting  to  wield  me ; 

I  naught  would  withhold  'neath  the  spell  he  cast 
o'er  me ; 

My  spirit  would  sway,  when  his  spirit  o'erbore  me, 

As  the  tree's  branches  sway  when  swept  by  the 
breeze, 

To  the  rhythmical  sound  of  their  own  harmonies; 

I  would  yield  with  a  lavishness  born  of  complete 
ness; 

I  would  fold  my  wings  close,  and  surrender  to 
sweetness. 


57 


"TTTHO  can  fill  a  chalice 

*  ^       That  is  full ;  try  to  hold 
Flowers  in  hands  clutching  dross  and  gold? 
If  with  selfishness  and  malice 
All  our  hearts  be  full  of  sin, 
How  may  we  ask  the  Lord  to  enter  in  ? 


M  is  the  peaceful  night,  the  ambient  air 
Stirs  through  the  tree-tops  with  low  melody ; 
Upon  the  hills  a  halo  lingers,  where 
Has  sunk  the  moon,  serene  and  silvery, 
Leaving  naught,  now,  but  subtle  light  of  stars. 
O  my  Star,  stronger  than  the  mighty  Mars, 
Here  by  thy  side  my  prisoned  self  is  free; 
For  in  night's  silence  and  immensity, 
Souls,  steeped  in  Love's  divinest  mystery, 
Feel  that  they  touch  their  immortality. 


59 


eyes,  so  true,  shine  on  me,  dear, 
In  visions  of  the  ebon  night; 
My  spirit  feels  that  thine  is  near, 
I  murmur,  "  It  is  morning-light." 


I  waken  to  the  sun-bright  day, 
My  chamber  is  aglow  with  light; 

I  whisper,  "  He  is  far  away," 

And  then  I  know  that  it  is  night. 


60 


TT  has  been  dark  so  long!     I  cannot  bear 

The  darkness  longer;  in  my  bosom,  where 
Joy  dwelt  of  old,  and  in  my  room  once  fair, 
Is  silent  desolation ;   the  still  air 
Is  dense  with  darkness ;   in  my  wild  despair 
I  fling  my  window  open  to  the  night,  — 
And  in  the  East,  behold,  the  dawn  of  light ! 


61 


T    OVE  reaches  to  the  infinite.     To-day 

I  love  you  to  the  uttermost ;  you  sway 
My  spirit  by  your  subtle  power,  —  yea 
I  yield  me  wholly,  love  you  far  above 
All  that  has  been.     Ah  !  Dear,  that  is  to-day. 
To-morrow,  as  before,  my  soul  will  say, 
In  very  truth,  as  yet  I  know  not  love; 
Only  the  love  of  loving,  and  the  larger  thirst 
For  infinite  revealing,  eager  as  at  first. 


62 


T   O !  in  the  dome  of  the  sky, 
"~  Glimmers  a  tremulous  star; 
I  follow  it  from  afar, 
To  find  where  it  swings  on  high, 
A  world. 

Lo  !  in  the  depths  of  thine  eyes, 
Shimmers  a  nebulous  light; 
I  follow  it  day  and  night, 
And  find,  to  my  soul's  surprise, 
My  world. 


T   IE  down  and  sleep. 

Leave  it  with  God  to  keep 
This  sorrow  which  is  part 
Now  of  thy  heart. 
When  thou  dost  wake, 
If  still  't  is  there  to  take, 
Utter  no  wild  complaint, 
Work  waits  thine  hands. 
If  thou  should'st  faint, 
God  understands. 


purple  mountains,  on  whose  crest, 
High-banked,  are  clouds  of  sombrous  shade, 
As  lo  !   the  day  dies  in  the  west, 
In  lofty  calm,  loom  unafraid. 

When  deep  the  twilight  shadow  lies 
Upon  their  summits,  still  they  stand, 

Unruffled  by  the  darkening  skies, 
Steadfast,  and  undisturbedly  grand. 

So  I  would  calmly  let  my  soul, 

In  sight  of  God  undaunted  lie, 
With  tranquil  and  serene  control 

Meeting  what  comes,  nor  asking  why; 

Having  no  tremor  of  dismay, 

When  thunderous  storm-clouds  threaten  doom ; 
Unmindful  of  the  dying  day, 

Unmoved  by  the  approaching  gloom. 
5  65 


TO   BEN   JONSON. 

/CHARTS  boasted  God  did  make  her; 
^     But,  O  Ben,  if  you  will  take  her 
Where  GOD'S  light  can  on  her  fall, 
You  will  find  He  made  not  all. 
There  was  much  of  frill  and  purl, 
Much  of  crisped  hair  and  curl, 
Which  were  added  at  her  glass ; 
And,  to  heart  and  soul,  alas! 
Sooth  I  fear  there  entered  in 
Many  a  folly,  many  a  sin, 
Petty  snare  of  worldly  fashion, 
Selfish  lust,  and  empty  passion,  — 
Yea,  I  am  full  sore  afraid 
God's  first  work  was  overlaid 
66 


With  the  errors  of  the  Court, 
By  the  House  of  Stuart  brought. 
If  your  Charis  were  unspoiled, 
And  by  Mammon  not  entoiled, 
Why  were  titles  and  French  ways 
To  be  had  ere  she  would  praise? 
Why  were  they  the  first  desired 
In  the  lover  she  required  ? 
Would  you  know,  O  curious  Ben, 
What  true  women  want  in  men? 
Only  titles  that  are  won 
By  some  act  which  they  have  done ; 
Only  manners  that  impart 
Knowledge  of  their  source  —  the  heart 


IV  TY  feet  are  sandalled  with  Love, 

•"•*•     Making  them  fleet; 

I  breathe  but  Love  for  my  breath, 

Finding  it  sweet. 
Love's  ichor  flows  in  my  veins, 

Keeping  me  strong; 
And  I  speed  on  my  way, 

Singing  a  song 
To  the  beautiful  earth 

And  the  stars  above,  — 
A  song  antiphonal, 

Of  love,  of  love. 


68 


TV  T Y  spirit  is  free 

As  the  tossing  sea ; 
My  moods  make  my  tides, 
And  nothing  besides 
Can  draw  me  or  stay  me, 
Can  calm  me  or  sway  me. 
I  come  and  I  go 
To  the  ebb  and  the  flow 
Of  my  own  desire ; 
But  my  heart  of  fire 
And  passion  I  keep 
Deep  hidden,  down  deep, 
Where  no  one  can  find  it, 
And  no  one  can  bind  it. 

My  heart  and  my  love  are  as  boundlessly  free 
As  the  shimmering,  shining,  sapphire  sea. 

69 


A  WOMAN'S  CONFESSION. 

"\7'ES,  kiss  me,  Beloved  ! 
I  yield  to  your  lips  ; 
But  my  spirit  slips 
Away  from  your  touch, 
If  you  kiss  overmuch. 

Yes,  hold  me,  Beloved  ! 
I  feel  your  control ; 
But  my  wayward  soul 
Takes  wings,  fleet  and  strong, 
If  you  hold  me  too  long. 

Ah  !  kiss  me,  Beloved ! 
But  find  a  new  way, 
A  more  subtle  play 
To  arouse  and  awake 
Me  to  want  what  you  take. 
70 


Ah !  hold  me,  Beloved ! 
But  most  by  a  spell, 
That  I  may  not  tell 
Why  I  stay,  nor  yet  know 
How  I  ever  could  go. 


AT  LAST. 

T)EYOND  the  bourn  of  mortal  death  and  birth, 

Two  lovers  —  parted  sorrowing  on  earth  — 
Met  in  the  land  of  dim  and  ghostly  space. 
Wondering,  he  gazed  on  her  illumined  face; 
"  Alone  you  bear  the  burden,  now,"  he  said, 
"  Of  bondage ;  mine  is  ended,  —  I  am  dead." 
With  rapturous  note  of  victory,  she  cried, 
"  The  Lord  of  Life  be  praised  !     I,  too,  have  died." 


72 


FELLOWSHIP. 

TT  is  the  bourgeoning  month  of  May, 

And  lissome  Spring  now  cometh  her  way, 
Trailing  her  dainty  garments  of  green 
The  blossoming,  low-drooped  boughs  between ; 
The  birds  sing  blithe  to  greet  her, 
The  violets  haste  to  meet  her; 
Earth  smileth  with  gay  delight, 
And  spreadeth  a  carpet  bright ; 
The  glad  Sun  laugheth  with  golden  glee 
To  see  Spring  passing  over  the  lea. 

She  glideth  on  o'er  the  tender  grass ; 
I  wait  in  the  way  that  she  must  pass, 
Until,  as  she  pauseth  where  I  stand, 
She  stretcheth  forth  her  fragrant  hand, 

73 


Her  dewy  lips  allure  me, 

Her  azure  eyes  assure  me, 

Of  a  fellowship  complete ; 

In  musical  cadence  sweet, 

She  murmureth,  "  Thou  of  Spring  art  part; 

Love  blossoms  to  fruitage  in  thine  heart." 


74 


TO  A   POET. 

who  hast  seen  behind  the  mystic  veil 
The  goal  that  lies  beyond  the  weary  way. 
Stay  not  to  tell  a  melancholy  tale, 
To  please  the  ear  of  fancy  for  a  day; 
Oh,  be  not  thou    a  crier  of  thy  time, 
Who  chants  the  dirges  of  sad  monotone. 
Arise !  Translate  the  message,  thou  alone 
Within  thy  soul  hast  heard,  into  thy  rhyme ; 
Infuse  the  world  with  harmony  sublime; 
Show  toiling  mortals,  girt  by  pain  and  strife, 
An  undimmed  vision  of  the  Truth  —  the  Life. 
Thus  shalt  thou  be  a  Seer,  and  so  fulfil 
The  glory  of  thy  mission,  and  God's  will. 


75 


REJOICE. 

SHINING,  glistening,  sparkling  sea, 
Where  white  waves  rise  and  swell ; 
O  murmuring  brook  and  swaying  tree, 

Where  wedded  song-birds  dwell ; 
O  rose  and  violet  growing  free, 

Down  in  the  mossy  dell ; 
O  flowering  Earth,  —  all  things  that  be, 

Rejoice,  my  soul  is  well ! 
My  Love  has  told  his  love  to  me,  — 

My  Love  who  loves  unfalterignly, 
My  Love  whose  matchless  love  for  me 

Will  beat  throughout  Eternity. 


,  darling,"  a  bird  is  calling, 
Over  the  hill  and  over  the  lea, 
"  The  sun  has  risen,  the  dew  ceased  falling, 
Darling,  come  back  to  me." 

"Darling,  darling,"  the  violet  is  weeping, — 
A  tear  deep-down  in  its  heart  I  see,  - 

"  My  lonely  tryst  I  still  am  keeping, 
Darling,  come  back  to  me." 

"  Darling,  darling,"  the  wind  is  singing, 
Blowing  all  welcoming,  fresh  and  free, 

"  Where  is  thy  musical  laughter  ringing? 
Darling,  come  back  to  me." 

77 


"  Darling,  darling,"  the  brook  is  saying, 
Merrily  winding  down  to  the  sea, 

"  Come,  Oh,  come,  I  am  lone  at  playing, 
Darling,  come  back  to  me." 

"Darling,  darling,"  the  light  is  gliding 

In  and  out  from  tree  to  tree, 
Trying  to  find  where  thou  art  hiding, 

"  Darling,  come  back  to  me." 

Darling,  darling,  my  heart  is  yearning, 
What  is  the  summer  bereft  of  thee? 

Day  has  no  dawn,  the  night  no  turning, 
Darling,  come  back  to  me. 


RENUNCIATION. 

/TAHIRSTING  and  panting  for  the  luscious  wine, 

I  drew  my  breath  in,  and  I  tasted  —  brine. 
The  cup  that  I  had  waited  for  these  years 
Was  in  my  hand,  I  lifted  it  on  high ; 
But,  ere  I  quaffed,  I  firmly  laid  it  by, 
And  drank,  instead,  my  own  salt,  bitter  tears. 


79 


BRUNHILDE. 

T}  INGED  by  protective  fire,  the  Walkyr  lay, 
Immaculate,  unmoved.     As  golden  day 
Slow  followed  day,  the  immortal  maid  did  keep 
The  unconscious  love-watch  of  her  virgin  sleep. 

Lo  !  to  her  side  her  daring  hero  came, 
And  to  her  soul,  sleep-folded,  straight  he  spoke ; 
Then  more  aglow  than  all  her  guarding  flame, 
Walhalla's  maid  a  throbbing  woman  woke. 


So 


SPEECH   AND   SILENCE. 


with  me,  Love,  O  come  ! 
Where  the  purple  violet  dwelleth, 
Where  the  crystal  water  welleth, 
Where  the  wind-blown  wild-rose  groweth, 
Where  the  deer  to  cover  goeth, 
Down  in  the  tangled  dell  ; 
There  are  secrets  sweet  to  tell. 

Come  with  me,  Love,  O  come  ! 
Where  the  crimson  sunlight  lieth, 
Where  the  soaring  eagle  flieth, 
Where  the  storied  air  soft  ringeth, 
To  the  height  that  vision  bringeth 
Of  each  golden  sphere  on  sphere  ; 
There  are  mystic  things  to  hear. 
81 


TRUST. 

/TXHE  quiet  river  glideth  to  the  sea ; 

The  silent  planets,  in  the  spacious  sky, 
Move  on  to  their  celestial  destiny, 
Each  in  its  orbit,  faithful ;  and  shall  I 
Fail  to  fulfil  the  purpose  planned  for  me? 
I  know,  however  dark  the  way  may  be, 
It  leads  me  on  to  some  vast  mystery, 
Some  good  supreme,  for  all  Eternity. 


82 


MORNING. 

HPHE  deep-shadowed  night  has  passed  away, 

I  look  abroad  on  the  blithesome  day; 
The  dew-fresh  Earth  is  so  wondrous  fair 
That  my  heart  leaps  high  with  praise  and  prayer ; 

The  World  is  awake,  the  Sun  is  aflame, 
O  hallowed  be  God's  Holy  name. 


The  morning-glories  are  spangled  with  dew, 
The  fleece-flecked  sky  is  a  vivid  blue ; 
The  bright-eyed  daisies  spring  from  the  grass, 
And,  smiling,  nod  as  I  onward  pass ; 

The  World  is  awake,  the  Sun  is  aflame, 
O  hallowed  be  God's  Holy  name. 

83 


The  yellow  wheat  waves  gay  in  the  field ; 
The  roses  blush  with  a  joy  concealed  ; 
The  shimmering  brook  leaps  lightly  by  ; 
The  silent  pond  is  another  sky ; 

The  World  is  awake,  the  Sun  is  aflame, 
O  hallowed  be  God's  Holy  name. 


The  golden  butterflies  glint  and  gleam 

As  they  sport  in  the  path  of  a  slanting  beam ; 

The  bees  buzz  busily  here  and  there  ; 

The  chirping  crickets  are  everywhere ; 

The  World  is  awake,  the  Sun  is  aflame, 
O  hallowed  be  God's  Holy  name. 


Each  pine  a  mystery  proudly  stands, 
The  little  hills,  laughing,  clap  their  hands; 
The  mightier  mountains,  one  by  one, 
Rise  in  their  beauty  to  meet  the  sun ; 

The  World  is  awake,  the  Sun  is  aflame, 
O  hallowed  be  God's  Holy  name. 


Now  all  is  laughter,  and  light,  and  love, 
In  the  Earth  beneath  and  the  Heavens  above, 
On  the  rock-bound  shore,  and  the  unbound  sea, 
But  most  in  my  heart  —  O  joy  to  me  ! 

The  World  is  awake,  the  Sun  is  aflame, 
O  hallowed  be  God's  Holy  name. 


EMANCIPATION. 

T)ESIDE  the  gray,  white- crested,  lapping  sea, 

Where,  with  its  subtle  spell  of  mystery, 
Lay  the  pale  light  from  waning,  crescent  moon, 
We  stood  together;  — the  low,  rippling  croon 
Of  quiet  waves,  upon  the  tranquil  shore, 
Made  a  mysterious  music  that,  forevermore, 
My  heart  will  hold  too  precious  to  forget; 
In  the  still  sky,  Venus  and  Mars  had  met. 
All  silently,  by  your  dear  hand's  embrace, 
My  hands  were  folded ;  I  could  see  your  face 
But  as  a  shadowy  setting  to  your  eyes, 
Which  held  me  with  that  strange  and  sweet  surprise 
The  spirit  knows  on  threshold  of  new  birth. 
It  seemed  the  varied  forces  of  the  earth, 

86 


And  all  my  life,  with  its  unfolding  power, 
Had  been  but  prelude  to  this  potent  hour. 
With  a  swift  note  of  vibrating  control, 
You  called  unto  my  deep-imprisoned  soul ; 
She  rose,  with  a  tense  thrill  of  ecstasy, 
Threw  off  her  long-time  shackles,  and  was  free. 


87 


QUATRAINS. 

LOVE. 

T  F  Love  means  having,  then,  —  denied,  — 

Most  lives  must  be  unsatisfied ; 
If  giving —  then,  no  life  need  be 
Bereft  of  Love's  blest  harmony. 

ILLOGICAL   PHILANTHROPY. 

/TAHE  gracious  lord  of  the  Manor  gives  dole 

To  wayfarers  passing  his  stately  door; 
But  he  raises  not  the  burdensome  toll 
They  must  pay  at  his  stream  from  their  scanty  store. 

HAPPINESS. 

T   AY  happiness  in  circumstance, 

Man  were  a  helpless  waif  of  chance ; 
But  since  the  highest  lies  within, 

Man's  happiness  is  his  to  win. 
88 


CONTRASTS. 


A     FAIR,  young  mother  bends,  and  gaily  laughs, 

Above  a  cradle,  snowy  white,  to  kiss 
Her  smiling  babe ;   ah  !  merrily  she  quaffs, 
With  mute  thanksgiving,  her  new  cup  of  bliss. 

A     DARK,  chill  bier  lies  in  a  room  apart, 
*^+     Covered  by  the  inexorable  pall ; 
There,  with  the  sword  of  sorrow  in  her  heart, 
Another  mother  drinks  her  cup  of  gall. 


I. 

A  T Y  friend  is  near  me  now,  so  near ; 

Before  my  yearning  eyes  he  stands, 
And,  bending,  takes  my  weary  hands. 
I  feel  his  breath  upon  my  cheek, 
I  see  his  face,  I  hear  him  speak ; 
But  "  Oh !  "  within  my  heart  I  sigh, 
"  How  many  miles  between  us  lie !  " 

II. 

TV /f  Y  other  friend  is  far  away, 

A  wanderer  in  distant  lands ; 
He  cannot  reach  to  touch  my  hands, 
He  cannot  look  into  my  eyes, 
Between  us  Fate's  dark  barriers  rise; 
And  yet,  through  distance  and  through  space, 

Our  souls  meet  in  a  close  embrace. 
92 


CITY   AND   COUNTRY. 

A    FEVERED  vortex  of  o'ercrowded  life, 

Men  who  attain,  who  fail,  who  faint,  who 

plod,  — 

A  restless  haste,  interminable  strife, 
And  ceaseless  din  that  drowns  the  voice  of  God. 

A     PEACEFUL  calm,  a  buoyant  sense  of  space 
From  boundless  azure,  and  broad  tranquil 

green. 

The  soul,  in  tune,  looks  now  upon  God's  face 
With  but  a  veil  of  flowering  bloom  between. 


93 


OHE  sits,  with  grief  too  deep  for  tears, 

Mute,  motionless,  with  parched  eyes,  dry  and 
wild ; 

Breaking  the  ghastly  silence,  now  she  hears 
The  blithesome  laughter  of  her  happy  child. 


94 


A    MAN  and  woman,  steeped  in  ecstasy, 
•^~*"     Murmur,  'mid  kisses,  "  Merciful  is  fate  !  " 


Far  off,  one  —  who  has  set  that  woman  free  — 
Dies  lonely  ;  and  a  maid  waits,  desolate. 


95 


RINGING  white  hands  in  passionate  despair, 

For  the  denied  last  jewel  for  her  hair, 
A  woman  lies  on  her  luxurious  couch. 


TN  bitter  cold,  beside  her  door,  doth  crouch 
Another  woman,  hungry,  faint,  and  pale, 
Stretching  wan  hands  with  supplicating  wail ; 
Knowing  that,  save  some  careless  passer-by 
Shall  give  her  bread,  her  only  child  may  die. 


I. 

night  is  still;  a  faint  perfume,. 
From  drooping  clematis  and  rose, 
Floats  through  the  dusky  folds  of  gloom 
That  hide  the  earth ;  a  calm  repose, 
A  mystic  hush,  is  over  all, 
Save  where  the  shadowed  waterfall 
Makes  murmurous  music,  there  between 
The  dolorous  pine-trees,  all  unseen. 


II. 


r  I  AHE  morning  breaks,  one  after  one 

The  mountains  glow,  effulgent,  red,  — 
Bright  heralds  of  the  coming  sun. 

The  fresh  rose  lifts  her  dewy  head  ; 
97 


A  joyous  song  within  its  breast, 
The  happy  lark  wakes  in  the  nest ; 
And,  pluming  buoyant,  eager  wings, 
To  the  blue  vault  up- soars  and  sings. 


98 


POINT   OF   VIEW. 


99 


THE   SEA. 

TREACHEROUS,  fierce,  implacable  sea ! 

That  bore  my  beloved  away  from  me ; 
How  hungrily  cruel  you  rise  and  creep 
To  seize  vast  treasures,  and  bury  them  deep, 
Far  under  your  cold-hearted,  white-lipped  waves, 
Where  numberless  thousands  sleep  their  last  sleep, 
Unshrouded,  uncoffined,  in  grassless  graves. 


BOUNTIFUL,  kind,  beneficent  sea! 
That  brought  my  beloved  one  home  to  me ; 
How  brightly  and  lightly  you  laugh  and  play, 
In  the  sparkling  sun,  with  your  own  waves'  spray, 
As  you  bear  on  your  throbbing,  mighty  breast 
The  myriad  souls  on  their  homeward  way, 
To  hearts  that  wait,  and  to  havens  of  rest. 


NIGHT. 

T  7AST,  awful  night,  how  ghostly  are  thine  hours! 

The  cold  and  unresponsive  stars  repel ; 
Against  the  dark  loom  visions  of  strange  powers, 
With  ghastly  forms,  like  harbingers  of  hell ; 
A  dense,  oppressive  silence  weights  my  soul, 
As  slowly  each  black  moment  doth  unroll. 
I  shudder  here  alone,  afraid,  forlorn, 

0  awful  night !  and  tremble  for  the  morn. 

OTILL,  peaceful  night,  when  cares  are  put  away, 
And  in  the  swaying  boughs  of  murmurous 

trees, 

The  risen  wind,  that  stirred  not  through  the  day, 
Maketh  low  music,  dreamy  melodies; 

1  sit  beside  my  Love  in  rapt  content, 
Reading  the  secrets  of  the  firmament, 

And  from  the  depths  of  thy  great  star-strewn  calm, 
O  wondrous  night !  I  drink  a  magic  balm. 


THE   PINES. 

MELANCHOLY,  mournful  pines, 
Sobbing  and  soughing  through  your  gloom, 

The  restless  spirit  of  wild  winds 

Sigheth  a  hopeless  wail  of  doom ; 

I  stand  and  list  to  ye,  all  alone, 

And  your  doleful  song  is  a  moan,  a  moan. 

S~\  MUSICAL  and  murmuring  pmesv 

You  echo  life  in  every  part, 
As  low,  harmonious,  fresh  winds 
Sweep  singing  through  your  deep-hid  heart; 
I  stand  with  my  Love,  to  list  to  ye, 
And  your  song  is  a  wondrous  symphony. 


103 


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